Long-Term Effects of Doxazosin, an Alpha1-Blocker, on Serum Lipids in Hypertensive Patients.

Nowadays practical antihypertensive therapy involves not only simple normalization of blood pressure but also a reduction of the risks of cardiovascular disease. In this multicenter open-label study, the long-term effects of doxazosin, an alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blocker, on serum lipids were prospectively investigated in 253 patients with essential hypertension. They were treated with doxazosin for 1 year. The averaged the blood pressure was maintained at levels lower than 150/90 mmHg throughout 1 year, but heart rate did not increase. After 3 months of doxazosin therapy, total and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in serum were significantly reduced by 3.3% and 3.4%, respectively, and these levels were maintained throughout the study period. This effect of doxazosin on serum lipids was especially prominent in patients with hypercholesterolemia. In addition, the lipid profile of these patients was favorably altered even when other antihypertensive drugs or lipid-lowering drugs had already been used or were used concurrently. These results constitute useful information for physicians who treat hypertension with alpha 1-blockers to reduce the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.